B-21 Top Recommendation
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"Scot Bilbro has the magic touch"
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
While Marietta Cellars is known for producing some of the most outstanding values in Sonoma County, the sumptuous 96 pt. 2019 Marietta Christo ranks at the top of the list, a richly textured and incredibly delicious Rhone style blend balancing ripe, succulent fruit hinting of peppery herbs with zesty acidity and silky textured tannins, unbeatably bargain priced under $20 for stocking up by the case to enjoy often over the next decade.
Renowned for "making bold red blends long before the category became trendy" according to the Wine Spectator's Mitch Frank, third generation Sonoma native Chris Bilbro established Marietta Cellars over four decades ago, situated north of the town of Geyserville in the Alexander Valley and led by his son Scot since 2012. Producing its wines from over 400 acres of organically farmed estate vineyards, the 2019 Marietta Christo is sourced from mostly old vine Syrah including some of California's oldest plantings dating back to the late 1800's, blended with Grenache from the high elevation Yorkville Highlands, Petite Sirah from the Angeli Estate further south in Alexander Valley and a little Viognier that's co-fermented with the Syrah in the Northern Rhone style to enhance aromas and deepen the color. Fermented in a mix of stainless steel and barrels for up to a year before blending, winemaker Scot Bilbro aged the inviting 2019 Christo for 18 months in neutral oak, yielding an enticing, age worthy blend summed up as "tasty, rich and mouth filling" by the Wine Enthusiast's Jim Gordon, with layered complexity built to enjoy now and over a decade or more.
Described by Antonio Galloni of Vinous as "crafting wines that deliver superb quality for the money," winemaker Scot Bilbro named the "Christo" cuvee to honor his late father, the bright and appealing 96 pt. 2019 Marietta Christo overdelivering on his Chris Bilbro's enduring legacy to produce great California wines at a reasonable price. | 
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